


Web of Destinies

by Rio2244



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: TTS, Tangled (Disney), Tangled the series - Freeform, tangled
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-30
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:40:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23923228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rio2244/pseuds/Rio2244
Summary: After Cassandra returns to Corona from her long journey, she reunites with her close friends and their son Flynn. On the night she returns, however, she discovers that the young prince was taken by a mysterious group that wants to rule over Corona. With the help of the royal alchemist Varian, the two set off to save Flynn in the enchanted realm of Silvam.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is my first story on AO3! Please be patient with me since I am not use to this setup. Anyway, after re watching Tangled the Series, I got really inspired to write a fanfic for it featuring our cinnamon roll Varian, and our brave warrior Cassandra! 
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you guys like the story! ^-^

This is a story of a young boy. His name was Flynn Edmund Fitzherbert, and yes. He is my handsome son!

Eugene.

Sorry! Sorry!

Flynn was the crown prince of Corona, and everyone from far and wide loved him. Some people loved him...too much. An evil race called the Changelings snuck into the night, and kidnapped the young prince in an effort to rule Corona. However, what they did not count on was the brave warrior and the loyal Alchemist to foil their plans.

~*~

“Okay okay everything has to be perfect! Cass is going to be so excited to be back!” Rapunzel shouted as she fixed the streamers.

“No offense Rapunzel, but I’m pretty sure Cass would just want to rest when she gets back…,” Varian told the Princess as he picked up a roll of streamers.

“Yes, yes I know...But it’s not everyday your best friend comes home after years being on the road!”

“Yeah I guess…”

Varian glanced around the banquet hall.

“...But do you really need a five layer cake?” The alchemist asked the Queen as he glanced at the large cake shaped like Corona.

“Yes! Each one is Cass’s favorite flavor!”

Varian sighed as Rapunzel threw her arms up in excitement. He knew she was excited, but she may be overdoing some things…Well who could blame her. This was Rapunzel after all.

“Ah, there you are Sunshine.”

“Eugene!”

A bright smile stretched across Rapunzel’s face as she saw his husband. Varian, deciding to leave the couple alone, started hanging up some more streamers on the other side of the hall.

“Back from duty already?” Rapunzel asked her husband as he slid over to her.

“Yes, we finally put the little bugger to sleep. And it only took Lance and I 16 tries! Can you believe it!?”

Rapunzel laughed softly as Eugene leaned against the table. He eyed the large cake before glancing down at the knife sitting next to it. Before Rapunzel could stop him, he grabbed the knife and dug into it. Ignoring the look from his wife, he took a plate from beside the cake. He slid the cake on it before setting the knife down.

“You know I was worried about being a Father because...You know…” He twirled the fork in his hand to emphasize the point. “But I feel like I’m finally getting the hang of it!” He shoved the fork into a piece of the cake before shoveling it into his mouth.

“Eugene! That’s-”

“Are you seriously eating my cake Fitzherbert?”

Rapunzel gasped loudly as she heard the voice. She whipped around, beaming at her best friend.

“Cassandra!”

“Hey Raps.”

You could hardly tell it was Cassandra. Her short black hair now flowed down her back in waves. Her torn handmaiden head piece was still strapped to her arm. The bright purple gems on her necklace stood out against the black armor she now wore. But what struck Rapunzel the most was the bright sun painted on her chest. The symbol of Corona.

“You weren’t supposed to be here till tomorrow morning!” Rapunzel cried as she rushed over to give the girl a hug.

Cassandra chuckled as her best friend pounced on her, “It’s been a while, huh?”

“Yes! Three years and two weeks!”

“You’ve been counting…” She tilted her head in disbelief although not entirely surprised.  
“Of course I have!”

“Oh Cass, it’s so nice to see your icy demeanor again,” Eugene told her as he shoved another piece of cake into his mouth.

“Hey watch it Fitzherbert,” Cass snapped at him. She reached forward, and snatched the plate of cake from him, setting it on the table as Eugene glared at her.

“Eh, eh, eh! It’s King Fitzherbert to you,” Eugene told her as he pointed the frost covered fork at her.

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

She took a step back, and draped her arm across her chest. She dipped down into a bow in front of him. “Your Majesty.” She pronounced in a deep husky voice.

“Ah yes, that’s much better.”

Rapunzel giggled softly as the two ‘bickered’. “Speaking of royalty…”  
Cassandra turned back to Rapunzel.

“Where’s the little royal?”

“Oh, Eugene and Lance just set him down for a nap.”  
Cassandra glanced up to see the young alchemist on a ladder. “After all, we don’t want him to be crabby tomorrow when he meets you…”

A soft smile formed Cassandra’s face as she stared up at him.

“Hello Varian.”

“Cassandra.”

She winced at his harsh tone. Was Varian still scared of her? I mean, she couldn’t blame him...After everything she put him and this kingdom though…She only wishes that he could trust her again.

“Well I mean, you could go visit him,” Rapunzel told her.  
She walked over to her friend, and set a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll just have to do it really quietly.”

Cassandra reluctantly listened to Rapunzel. Being silent really wasn’t her strong suit...But she has no other choice.  
“Don’t worry, he won’t even notice I’m there,” She told her before heading towards Flynn's room. She walked through the purple and the gold halls of the castle. She always thought that the colors were tacky, but after a few years she realizes it’s a nice color scheme. She slid her hand across the wall. As she walked, her hand got caught in some fabric.  
“What in the…”

She pulled her hand away and took a step back. She gasped when she saw a large white tapestry. A large gold tree was sewn on it. In between the branches were faces of the past royals. However, outside the tree around the border were pictures of her and Rapunzel going on their adventures. Cass smiled as she ran her fingers against the tapestry. She moved her hand away before continuing to walk to the prince’s room. As she walked, she noticed the many paintings that lined the wall. She traced her fingers over these new paintings. The new memories that Rapunzel had without her… But she smiled when she saw the last painting. It was her surrounded by her friends. Even though Rapunzel and the others had new memories without her, she can make new memories with them. Feeling satisfied that her friends would have fun with her, she continued her way to the nursery. She stopped, however, when she heard a soft clanging sound.

‘What was that?’ She thought to herself.

She heard another noise, and put a hand on the hilt of her sword. She cautiously rounded the corner. However, when she turned no one was there. Cassandra sighed before returning the small inch of her sword back into her hilt.

‘I must be imagining things,’ She assured herself. ‘I have been on the road for a few years…’

She jumped when she heard the same clanging sound from before. Instinctively, she pulled out her sword and looked around the corridor. She heard it once more, but this time she knew where it was coming from. She rushed towards the nursery, and slammed open the door. The white walls were brightening in the moonlight rays. The rays were the only light in the room. Toys were scattered around the room along with several books. Some were unopened, others were opened at random pages. In the corner was a small stack of books along with a cloth covered chair. She glanced at the white crib before slowly walking over. She peered in to see the sleeping form of Prince Flynn. His brown hair framed his face as he slept. She smiled down at him before reaching down. She gently stroked his cheek with the back of her hand.  
“Hey little guy…,” She whispered to him.

She heard a rustling sound before whipping around. She knew someone was in here, and it was her job to find out who.  
“...I know you’re in here,” She whispered as she raised her sword slightly. “Show yourself.”

Laughter filled the room as she navigated her way around the room. The eerie laughter became louder as she neared the center of the room.

“Cassandra~”

Her hair stood on end when she heard the eerie deep voice. She pulled out her sword as she heard more laughter.

“How do you know my name?” She demanded as she raised her sword higher.

“Our queen knows all.”

“Your queen?”

She gasped when she saw something move across the floor.

‘I have you now…’

She saw something move in the corner. She saw the cloth move up signaling her that the person was in the chair.

“Gotcha!”

She pulled up the cloth to reveal a white rocking chair. She frowned when she saw nothing was there

“Where did you go?”  
She whipped around when she heard crying. Her eyes widened when she saw a person carrying Flynn. The boy continued to cry as they rushed over to the window. Out towards the kingdom…

“Oh no you don’t!”

Cass rushed over to the window. She reached her hand out as the person flung open the window.

‘Just a little bit more…!’

She hears the ringing in her ears before she knows what happened. Stunned by the impact of something colliding with her head, she falls to the ground. More laughter came from behind her. A loud clanging sound came from the frying pan as the person behind her dropped it.

“Frying pans...Who knew it would be such a useful weapon.”

Her vision was going in and out as she watched the person walk over to her partner.

“Let’s get home before anymore show up.”

The two walked out onto the balcony.

“With the arrival of the Prince…Queen Titania’s plan will finally come to fruition!”

Cass let in a sharp gasp as she reached out towards the balcony.

“No…!” She gasped.

Flynn’s cries filled her ears as her vision faded. The last thing she saw before falling unconscious were the two jumping off the balcony, Prince Flynn in their arms.


	2. Chapter 2

“...dra…! Cass…! CASSANDRA!”

Cassandra woke with a start.

“Hey are you okay?” Eugene asked as he knelt down besides her.

“I…” She looked down at the ground trying to figure out what had happened a few moments prior. She remembered hearing noises, her investigating the corridor and room before finding the two people holding. 

“Flynn! He’s-”

“Hey hey, he’s alright. Rapunzel is taking care of him outside.”

“But...He was taken! I saw him! He-”

“Cass, he is fine. Here let me show you.”

He held out his hand to her. She stared at his hand for a few moments, contemplating whether or not she should take it. The last time he offered his hand to her was after the fight with Zhan Tiri. After she was…

She grasped his hand causing a soft smile to form his lips. He guided her out of the room and into the corridor. Rapunzel was humming a soft song, swaying her body with the beat. In her arms was a bundle of blankets, revealing the small Prince. A short gasp escaped Cass’s mouth as she saw him. She never took a good look at him earlier...But seeing him now…

Eugene smiled at her as she let go of his hand. She slowly walked over to the Queen as Rapunzel looked up at her. Flynn yawned before looking up at her. His emerald eyes shone in the daylight beams just like…

“He looks just like you Raps…,” Cassandra muttered as she reached out to touch him.

“Would you like to hold him?” Rapunzel asked her. 

Her hand stopped short of him. Her breathing hitched as she pondered the question. After everything she has done...Should she have the right to even hold their son? The sunshine to her shadow?

“I...I don’t know Raps...I-”

“Oh nonsense!”

Cassandra yelped as the girl set the baby in her arms. Cass felt a tight knot in her chest as she held the boy. What if he started crying? What if he didn’t want to be with her? What if she dropped him. All the thoughts went away, however, when the boy let out a satisfied coo. He giggled as he set a hand on her cheek. 

“He’s excited to meet his godmother.”

Cassandra’s head snapped up.  
“G-Godmother?”

“Of course!”

Rapunzel smiled up at her husband as he walked up to her. He wrapped an arm around her, and set a small kiss on her forehead.  
“But...Why me?” She asked them as she turned to them. “After everything I’ve done...Why would you choose me?”

“You’ve changed Cass,” Rapunzel told her. “Throughout these past few years, you’ve grown and changed into a better person. You found yourself on your adventure Cassandra.”

“Not only that, but you’re also the only one that can fight an entire army that isn’t a horse,” Eugene told her.  
“Eugene,” Rapunzel scolded softly as she elbowed him.  
“It’s true though! I wouldn’t want anyone else to protect him than her.”

She smiled at the two before looking down at Flynn. She thought back to a few moments ago in his bedroom. The people taking Flynn out of his crib and…

‘...I must have dreamt it.’ There’s no way any of that happened if Flynn was here in her arms. Cass looked back up at the couple. 

“I promise to do everything in my power to protect him.” She walked over to them, and held out Flynn to them. Rapunzel reached forward and gently took him back. Cass smiled before holding up her hand. “You have my word.”

“Thank you Cass…”

Her chest tightened as Rapunzel did her signature smile. 

“I’m getting tired...I think I’ll head in for the night.”

“Alright. Good night Cass.”

She waved at the couple before walking away. She sighed as she walked through the corridor.

“What am I doing…?” She muttered under her breath. “I was only supposed here for a day not to stay here forever protecting their son!”

She stopped when she heard a strange rustling from inside a room. She stopped before frowning when she realized it was the nursery. She opened the door, and walked inside cautiously. The memories of the hooded figures flooded back to her. She shook her head as she turned to walk away. “I’m imagining things…”

She was about to walk out when she caught a glimmer of something. She blinked before walking over to the white rocking chair in the corner. She blinked when she saw something underneath it. She bent down, and reached towards the item. She grasped the handle before pulling it out.  
“It’s...A frying pan…”

She twirled it in her hand before looking at it in thought. “Why is there a frying pan in…?”  
She trailed off as the pain from her head came rushing back. She gasped when she remembered the person dropping the frying pain after hitting her. The person laughing at her incompetence at her before…

She dropped the frying pan. She wasn’t imagining things! Those people really did take Flynn! But how was that possible when Flynn was here? The ringing in her ears from the frying pan subsided as she took deep breaths. She has to figure out what was going on.

She has a Prince to protect after all.


	3. Chapter 3

“Streamers.”

“Check!”

“Presents?”

“Check!”

“Balloons?”

There was a loud popping noise followed by laughter.

“Check!”

“And last but not least…”

Lance held up a plate that had a piece of Cassandra’s cake on it. “The cake.”  
He shoved a mouthful of cake into his mouth in delight. 

“Mhm! Check!” He shouted as he swallowed the bite. He held up the list before checking off the items with his quill. 

“Hey can we get pancakes after this?” Kiera asked as she and Catalina messed around with more of the balloons. 

“With the mini chocolate chips!” Catalina added in excitedly. There was another loud pop as Kiera destroyed another balloon. 

“Of course,” Lance replied as he rolled up the scroll. “Anything for my two lovely daughters.”

“I leave you guys here for two minutes, and you destroy half of the balloons! And-Lance are you eating Cassandra’s cake!?”

Lance swallowed the last bit of his cake before sliding the plate back onto the table.

“...No.”

~*~

“That is the last time I help Lance plan a party! I mean the point of having decorations is to convey the fun atmosphere not destroy them! Do you understand Ruddiger?”

Ruddiger grunted in agreement before running around his legs excitedly. Varian chuckled at the raccoon as he raced around him. Ruddiger suddenly stopped, and sniffed the air for a moment. He looked down a corridor and scurried down it. “Hey wait! Ruddiger!”

Varian groaned before rushing after his pet. 

“You are not getting any more snacks! You’ve already had enough!”

He stopped in front of a corridor. He smirked when he saw the raccoon. “There you are Ruddiger! Now let’s get home before Dad-”

“Hey there little buddy.”

Varian’s breathing hitched when he saw the young woman. Her hair moved past her shoulders as she knelt down in front of Ruddiger. She held out an apple to him which he graciously accepted. The woman smiled before looking up at him.

“Varian.”  
She stood up from the floor. Varian straightened up, hoping to convey his confidence.  
“Cassandra,” He replied.

His mouth ran dry as he stood there. He rubbed his arm nervously as the two stood there in silence awkwardly. Varian never had the chance to talk to Cassandra after her invasion on Corona. He never got to say goodbye to her before he left. And after everything she did to him and to his Dad…

“I need your help.”

Cassandra’s voice brought him back to reality.

“You...Need my help?” He asked curiously. 

Since when did she need his help? 

“Something has come up, and I...I don’t think I can tell Rapunzel and Eugene. You’re the only person I can talk to.”

She took a step towards him, but he took a step back. 

“I...I don’t know if I can, Cass...After everything that’s happened. You kidnapped me, drugged me, knocked me out of a tower, and brainwashed my Dad. I just...Can’t trust you, yet. It’s...going to take a while.” He looked down at the ground as he rubbed his arm.

He did this every time he was nervous. It was a force of habit, but he found it comforting in uncomfortable situations. Ruddiger finished eating his apple, and rushed over to the boy. He pressed up against his legs in an effort to comfort him. Cassandra frowned as she listened to him.

“...Varian, I’m sorry. I really am. I got so caught up in my anger with Rapunzel and my Mother-” She sucked in a small breath as she said mother. “That I took it all out on you...I lost sight of myself, and you tried to help me see that.”

She took another step towards him. Varian flinched as she moved closer to him.   
“I know you can’t trust me yet...But that’s not what I am asking. All I’m asking is for you to believe me.”

He looked up at her as she stopped in front of him.

“...What is it then?” Varian asked her as he lowered his arms.

“It’s...About Flynn.”

Varian’s body tensed up when he heard the prince’s name. Flynn was not only precious to the King and Queen, but to him as well. He saw Flynn as a younger brother. The fact that anything would happen to him, terrified him. 

“...What did you do to him?” Varian asked her. He winced as the question came out harsher than he intended it to.

“I didn’t do anything to him!” Cassandra told him. “He was taken by these...People!” 

Varian crossed his arms in disbelief. 

“I just saw Rapunzel and Eugene with him a few minutes ago,” He replied. “How could he have been taken if he’s here!?”

Cassandra frowned before looking down at the ground. She has to figure out a way to convince him...Varian frowned as he watched her. He didn’t want to believe her. There was no scientific explanation that would prove she was telling the truth. Unless…

He slipped off his backpack and dropped it onto the floor. Cassandra looked up as he dropped down in front of her. He unzipped the bag and reached into it. Ruddiger gave out an excited squeal before shoving his face into the backpack to look for more snacks. Ever since Eugene became Captain of the Guard, he has come to Varian with many ideas on how to catch criminals. One idea in particular helped him in many different interrogations with these criminals. Luckily, Varian still had the batch he forgot to give to Eugene today.

“If you want me to believe you…” He pulled out the purple cookie and held it out to her. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized what it was.

“Prove it to me.”


	4. Chapter 4

Cassandra sighed as she watched Varian pace in front of her. Her legs were crossed as she sat on top of a rock. She leaned forward and set a hand on her chin as she leaned against her leg.

“It...It doesn’t make sense!” Varian told her. “I mean it has to since you’re telling the truth because of my truth serum, but it still doesn’t make sense!”  
“Varian you need to relax.”

“I-I can’t! Flynn was kidnapped, Cass!” He cried.

Cassandra lunged off the rock and grabbed him. He yelped as she set her hand over his mouth. “Quiet!” She hissed. “We can’t alert the whole castle about this! We need to keep this under wraps until we figure out what is going on. Do you understand?”

Varian nodded as he listened to her. Cass sighed before removing her hand from his mouth. She took a step back as Varian put his hand under his chin to think. 

“Well we know there’s no scientific explanation for this. The only thing I can think of is that it’s magic.”

“Magic?” Cassandra asked him.

“I mean it’s not the first time we’ve dealt with magic,” Varian replied, smirking.  
She gave him a small glare causing him to straighten up.  
“B-But that could also be bad in this case…”

“Okay, but how do we figure out if magic is involved?”

Varian thought for a moment before smiling as a thought came to him.

“I know just the right person to ask!”

~*~

“It sounds like you have a Changeling.”

“Changeling?” Cassandra asked as she crossed her arms.

“Yes,” Xavier replied as he moved to the back of his workshop.

The streets were empty with the people of Corona fast asleep. Which made it much easier for Cassandra and Varain to speak to Xavier about their current predicament. The embers from the fire made their shadows fire. Varian glanced at their dancing shadows as the fire cackled. He has come here on multiple occasions to talk to Xavier. However, the shadows made him nervous. The thought that Flynn would be one of these...Changelings scared him. 

“And how would we...reveal this Changeling?” Varian asked the man, tearing his gaze away from the shadows. “Hypothetically of course.”

“Well, there was an old legend-”

“Oh here we go,” Cassandra muttered as she set her arms down by her sides.  
The one thing she didn’t miss on her journey was Xavier’s long boring stories. Varian gave her a small glare before looking back at the Blacksmith. 

“What was the legend Xavier?” 

“Well it all started with a mage named Ace. He studied all kinds of magic. Fire magic, life magic, love magic. He was the mage that concocted all the potions we know of.”

“Urg,” Cassandra groaned. Varian elbowed her before looking back up at the man.

“Well on one faithful day, his younger sister was born. As a tradition where he lived, the parents would bring their newborn baby into the woods to become one with nature. However, excited to meet his baby sister Ace went into the forest, breaking their long held tradition. When he came upon his sister, however, he noticed small creatures with pointy ears doing something with his sister. When he got closer, the creatures suddenly flew off. He hurriedly checked in on his sister. When he saw her though, it was not his sister. Instead it was one of them. The strange creatures that took off.”

“What were these creatures?” Varian asked him. Cassandra glanced at the boy before looking back up at Xavier. Xavier held up a piece of burning coal to examine. The small embers lighting the small workshop in an eerie light. 

“Changelings.”

Varian and Cassandra exchanged worried glances at each other as Xavier continued.

“He rushed back, and told his parents what had happened. But when they went back to check in on her, she was back to normal. His parents didn’t believe him aged that.”

Varian leaned forward as Xavier continued. Cassandra rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smile that spread across her face. 

“Knowing that something has happened to his sister, he began to work on a potion. This particular potion would allow him to see the true form of all things. When he applied it to himself and his parents, the potion revealed the true form of the Changeling. Knowing that the creatures took his sister, he began to investigate these Changelings. He studied his ‘sister’ and learned the true nature between these creatures. They would steal human babies, and take them back to their realm.”

Varian and Cassandra gasped. They looked at each before looking back at the blacksmith. 

“After finding this out, he went to their world and brought back his sister. Once he saved him, he went and got rid of the vile creature. Vowing to stop these Changelings forever, he concocted more of his potion, the Vial of Perception. He went to every kingdom, and got rid of the Changelings in each one. Everyone in the world praised his magical abilities. Once he defeated the Changelings in our world, he sealed the gate that allowed the Changelings to cross over to ours. After that his name went down in history as the slayer of Changelings.”

“Whoa…,” Varian muttered, his eyes wide with wonder. 

“Vial of Perception…,” Cassandra muttered.

Varian snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Cassandra. He glanced back up at Xavier. 

“How would we acquire this potion?” Varian pressed him. “...If one were to think that one was a Changeling?”

“Ah well young Varian.” Xavier set down his tools before walking over to his chest. He opened it and bent down. Varian and Cassandra peered over his broad shoulders. The two exchanged glances as Xavier dug through his large chest. The two stepped back as Xavier stood back up. He turned towards them, holding a strange flask to his chest. It was in the shape of a small human with pointy ears. Wings sprouted from its back as the human was kneeling in a pleading position. Whatever this creature was...It was obviously not human. A strange dark blue liquid swirled inside as Xavier held it out to them to look at.  
“I just so happen to have some here.”

“Whoa…,” Varian muttered amazed. He reached out and traced the creature’s figure with his glove. “Such delicate craftsmanship...You can actually see every detail!”

“How does it work?” Cassandra asked Xavier. 

Xavier held it up close to his face.  
“All one would have to do is put two drops on each eye. This will allow the user to see any Changelings that walk among us.” He lowered the flask as he finished explaining. 

“‘Kay thanks.”

Varian yelped as Cassandra grabbed the flask, and started walking away.

“Wha-Cass! I was looking at it!”

“You can look at it more when we get back to the castle.”

“Urg!” Varian grunted before turning back at Xavier. “Thank you Xavier. Maybe next time you can tell me some more stories about Ace. He sounds interesting.”

Xavier chuckled at the young boy's curiosity. “Of course. I am looking forward to it.”  
“Varian!”

“Ah! Coming!”

He rushed out of the workshop. He stopped a moment before turning back to the blacksmith. 

“Thank you again Xavier.”

“You’re welcome, young Varian.”

~*~

Varian and Cassandra sat side-by-side on her bed. The two stared at the strange flask that was on a stool in front of them. While the two stared at it, Ruddiger was on the floor eating a small apple. Owl glanced down at the raccoon as it ate. Ruddiger noticed before holding up a tiny bit of it. Owl shook his head which allowed Ruddiger to proceed to devour the rest of the apple. 

“So this potion will let us see if baby Flynn is a Changeling…,” Varian muttered.

The two sat in silence a few moments before.

“What are we even doing?” Cassandra asked him. “We should use the potion and get this over with.”

She stood up, and reached out towards the flask.

“No wait!”

Varian lunged forward and grabbed it before she could. “We can’t do it just yet!”

“Why not?” She asked the boy annoyed.

“Rapunzel and Eugene forbid anyone from going into his room after he’s been put to sleep! Ever since Lance’s and the girls’ surprise party, they don’t trust anyone but themselves to go in there.”

“Then we wait until tomorrow.”

“Well...That might be a problem.”

“Why?”

“Flynn will be with Eugene and Rapunzel all day,” He told her. “They’re doing renovations to the nursery tomorrow. There will be no way to get him alone.”

Cassandra frowned as she thought for a few moments. An idea suddenly popped into her head causing her to smirk.

“Not unless a certain someone asks them to bring Flynn to her party.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll explain later. For now you and Ruddiger should head home and get some sleep.”

Cass walked over to the raccoon and gently picked him up. She handed him to Varian before walking back to her bed. “Don’t forget to keep that flask safe,” She told him as she sat down. “We won’t be able to proceed if anything happens to it.”  
Varian stood up straighter, a confident smile spreading across his face.  
“You can count on me Cass.”  
She smiled at the boy before leaning back on her bed. “Now go get some sleep.”

“We have a Changeling to catch.”


	5. Chapter 5

Varian peered inside the banquet hall as he stood in the hallway. People from all over Corona were inside enjoying the festivities that he had planned that Lance didn’t help with. He held the strange flask close to him as he examined his surroundings. Cassandra and him would need a way out if Flynn really was a Changeling. Actually would Flynn even attack them? It would blow their cover after all…

“Varian.”

The boy let out a small scream as Cassandra frightened him. He gasped as the flask fumbled out of his hands.

“No!”

He reached down towards it. Right before it crashed to the ground, Cassandra lunged forward. She stretched her arm out before grasping the flask as it landed in her hand. The two stood there for a moment before letting out a deep breath.

“That was close,” Varian told her as she stood up.

“Too close,” Cassandra replied as she held the flask close to her. “We need to be more careful. If we lose this, we can’t prove that Flynn is a Changeling.”

“Right…”

Varian rubbed the back of his neck nervously as Cassandra strode over to the doors of the banquet hall. A deep frown crossed her features causing Varian’s stomach to churn.

“What is it?”

“...He’s not here.”  
“Who?”

“Flynn!” She snapped. ”I thought I told Rapunzel to bring him!” 

Varian winced at the harshness of her tone. He took a small step away from, in fear of another outburst. Cassandra’s face fell when she saw Varian’s fearful features. She tore her gaze away from him.

“I-I’m sorry...I didn’t mean to shout at you like that...It’s just…”

She peered back into the banquet hall. “...I just want Raps to be happy...After everything she’s been through.”

Varian glanced down at the ground, bringing his hand up to rub his arm. “No I understand perfectly.” He squeezed his arm tightly. “I regret my actions from before...I hurt so many people. All I wish for is all the people I hurt to be happy.” He glanced up at the banquet hall. “Rapunzel and Eugene included…”

Cassandra smiled softly at the boy as he gazed out at the banquet hall. This was the first time they had a proper conversation since she’s been back. The fact that Varien can talk to her like this made her happy. She reached out towards him.

“Varian-”

“Cass!”

The two yelped as Rapunzel bounded over to the doors. Cassandra shoved the flask into Varian’s hands as the Queen neared them. Varian fumbled with the flask before sighing when he finally found his grip on it. Cassandra quickly shoved him behind the large door as Rapunzel stood in front of her. 

“Oh Cass everyone is so excited to see you!” Rapunzel grabbed her hands and squeezed them tightly. “Monty and Atlia baked a whole bunch of sweets! Feldspar is putting on a new play! Shorty is...Being Shorty...Oh! And you missed Ulf win pin the tail on the donkey! Even though it was all imaginary.”

Varian chuckled softly from behind the door as he listened to Rapunzel ramble on. 

“Oh, and we also had to redo your cake…”

Rapunzel lowered her gaze as she lowered their hands. “Someone-“ She glanced off to the side. “...not saying who...Ate your cake.” She looked back up at her friend. “So we just had to go with a single layered cake. I hope that’s alright with you.”

Cassandra squeezed her hands gently in reassurance. 

“It is. Thank you Raps…”

Rapunzel beamed at her before letting go of her hands. “Well come on! We’re all waiting for you!!”

Cassandra smiled as she began to follow Raps into the banquet hall. She suddenly stumbled back, as Varian yanked her back into the hallway.

“Cass, what about the Changeling?” He asked her in a hushed voice. 

Cassandra looked back at the banquet hall. Rapunzel was watching them, a quizzical look on her face as she tried to figure out what they were saying. 

“Okay new plan.”

Cassandra looked back at him and gently grabbed his hands. She held them up, but not high enough for Rapunzel to see the flask.

“You take the potion.”

“What!?”

Cassandra grabbed his wrist and pulled him away from the door. Pulling him away from Rapunzel. She whipped back to him and set her hands on his shoulders. “Listen, the plan won’t work if we’re both under the effects of the spell. Rapunzel would definitely know something is up. For now, I need you to take the potion while I convince Rapunze, again, to let Flynn come to the party.”

Varian looked down at the flask in his hands. This wasn’t the craziest plan that he was involved in. Heck, he’s been in worse ones. So why was he so nervous? He looked back up at Cassandra though, a determined look on his face. He squeezed the flask tightly as he straightened up. 

“You can count on me.”

~*~

“Is...Everything okay?” Rapunzel asked the girl as Cassandra walked into the banquet hall.

“Oh yes! Varian just wanted to catch up before I got swallowed up by the festivities.”

“Ah right...He doesn’t really like these kinds of things.”

Cassandra perked up when she heard this.

“What do you mean?”

“Well after Varian got Quirin back, he started coming less and less to the festivals. When I asked him about it, he told me that he didn’t like these things...And that he has more important things to do.”  
Cassandra frowned as she listened to Rapunzel. She knew Varian always wanted to help Corona using his alchemy, but she didn’t realize he would take it this far. She wanted to go back, and grab the boy. To force him to relax, and enjoy something else that wasn’t alchemy. But she knew she couldn’t do that. They both have a job to do, and they have no time to waste.

“Well that’s too bad,” Cassandra replied. “He’s missing out on a spectacular party.”

Rapunzel gasped as she heard Cassandra compliment her party.

“But…” Cassandra glanced at her. A large stupid smile was plastered on the Queen’s face, and her eyes seem to have lit up as she stared at her best friend. She could stare into her emerald eyes and be lost in them for hours…

But she had a promise to fulfill.

She tore her gaze away from Rapunzel. 

“I know someone else who is missing this party…”

Rapunzel tilted her head questionably as Cass rubbed her arm nervously. 

“I thought I invited everyone...Who are we missing?”

Cass braced herself as she looked back up at the girl.

“Flynn,” She replied. “I...Was hoping he would be at the party. I wanted to spend more time with him since I didn’t see him all day today.”

Rapunzel frowned, her eyebrows knitting together. 

“Cass, Eugene and Lance just took him to bed. Flynn shouldn’t be up this late anyway. He’s just a baby, he needs his rest.”

“I know! I know!” Cassandra threw her hands up in defense. “I just wanted to get to know the little guy more. After all, it’s not everyday your best friends have a child together.”  
Rapunzel’s frown deepened as she pondered the thought. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the ground.

“I...Guess an hour or two would be alright…”

She looked back at Cassandra.

“But only an hour or two!” She told her, pointing her finger at her.

Cass smiled at her as she lowered her arms.

“That’s all the time I need. Why don’t we-”

“Look who’s here to party!”

The two girls turned to see Eugene walk into the room, holding baby Flynn in his arms. Maximus followed close behind, whining at the two girls who were playing on his back. Lance strolled in holding many baby toys in his arms.

“Wha-Eugene! What are you doing!?” Rapunzel cried.

“Well little Flynn here didn’t want to go to sleep,” He told her.

“So we decided-” Lance brushed up against Eugene as he raised the toys in his arms.  
“To bring Flynn to the party!” He dropped all the toys onto the floor as he raised his arms outward. The girls laughed as Maximus made a low grunting sound. Rapunzel glared at Lance as the toys landed in a pile in front of them. Cass blinked as she heard a small squeak. She looked down to see the small chameleon push a toy block off of him. 

“Oh there you are Pascal.”

Rapunzel knelt down and held out her hand. The chameleon climbed onto her hand excitedly. She giggled before moving her hand towards her shoulder for Pascal to sit on. 

“Hey there little guy.”

Pascal looked up at Cass as she gently stroked his head. “I haven’t seen you for awhile…”  
“He and Max are busy making their own animal guard! He’s very busy, and comes back exhausted,” Rapunzel replied.

‘An animal guard? Really? …Actually that’s not a bad idea,’ Cassandra thought as she continued to stroke Pascal. Pascal gave a quiet excited squeal as he pushed his head into her hand. 

“Does...This mean we’re off the hook?” Eugene asked as he continued to hold Flynn.  
Rapunzel looked back up at her husband and glared at him. “No, you are not off the hook. Neither are you Lance.”

“Huh? What was that?”

“Lance! That’s for Cassandra!” Rapunzel shouted at the man as he ate yet another slice of cake. 

“Well you can’t just leave a perfectly good cake out like this!” He shot back.

Eugene laughed as he listened to their bickering. Cass walked over to him and held out her arms. “May I hold him?”

Eugene turned to her and smiled at her.

“Of course!”

He held out the baby to her.

“Just be careful not to drop him! After all, we don’t want you to ruin his good looks! He gets them from me after all.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes at Eugene’s comment. She looked down at the boy who was smiling up at her.

‘Creepy…’

Cassandra took a deep breath as she steadied her nerves.

‘Remember this is for Raps…’

She held out her arms to him, ready to accept whatever may happen.

‘It’s now or never.’

~*~

Varian watched from the corridor as Cass took Flynn into her arms.

“Alright...It’s now or never…”

He hid behind one of the large doors, and held up the large flask. He grasped the cork and began to pull. 

Pop. 

He grunted as he finally managed to pull the cork off. Light blue mist came from the bottle as Varian brought it up to him. He sniffed it before cringing away.  
“Urg…!” Varian groaned as he held the potion away from him. “Why does this potion smell like rotten eggs!?” He shivered as he thought of what kind of ingredients were used in this potion. Luckily he didn’t have to consume it…

He held up the potion as he tilted his head back. 

“Here goes…”

~*~

Varian glanced into the banquet hall. He frowned as everything stayed the same.  
‘Did I take the potion right?’ He thought. His frown deepened as he glanced around the hall looking for Cass. His hands shook when he finally found her. He felt a knot in his stomach as Cass looked up at him. He gulped before hiding behind the wall once more.  
Why was he so scared? He shouldn’t have to. He had Cassandra helping him. If something went wrong, she would be there to help him. He took a deep breath, hoping it would calm his nerves. 

It didn’t.

But he didn’t have a chance at this point. He needed to know the truth no matter. He needed to know if Flynn was alright. He shoved the potion into his pocket before turning to face the hall. He took another deep breath before stepping inside. 

All eyes were trained on him as he walked his way to the group. His hands continued to shake as he made his way to the group. He was thankful that he wore gloves so no one would notice. But did they have to stare at him?

“Varian!”

He snapped out of his thoughts as Rapunzel rushed over to him. “You came!”

“Of course I did!” He replied. He managed to give her a smile causing her to beam. “I didn’t want to miss out on the cake.” He gestured towards the small cake. “...Or what’s left of it.”

“Either way this is going to be so much fun!” She grabbed his hands and held them up. 

“What should do we first? Oh I know! We should play musical chairs!”

“Why don’t we let him get some cake first?” Cassandra asked as she walked over to him. “After all, there might not be any left soon.”

Varian sucked in a breath when he saw the baby. This was the moment of truth…

“You know Rapunzel, Cass is right.” He lowered their hands before letting go of hers. 

“It’s been a looong time since I had some cake.”

He stepped to the side of Cass. She glanced at him, waiting for him to glance at the Prince. Waiting to find out that this adorable boy was in fact a Changeling…

“I mean the last time I had cake-”  
Rapunzel tilted her head in confusion as Varian stepped closer to Cassandra.  
“-was at my party.”  
‘Just one glance.’  
“And even then-”  
He clutched his hands as he risked a glance at the baby.  
“-it didn’t...OH MY GOD!”

Everyone turned to the group as Varian jumped back in shock.

“Varian?” Rapunzel asked worriedly. She took a step forward, holding out her hand to him, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“WHAT IS THAT THING!?” Varian cried as he gestured his arms at Flynn. 

“Varian, it’s just our son,” Eugene replied as he stepped over Rapunzel. He set a hand on her shoulder reassuringly as Varian stared at them with wide crazy eyes.

“How...HOW DO YOU NOT SEE THIS THING!? THIS IS NOT YOUR SON!”

There was a collective gasp from the crowd. The two royals frowned as Varian continued to shout at them. Cassandra turned to them, and gently set Flynn onto Rapunzel’s arms. Rapunzel held Flynn close as Cass rushed over to Varian. She set a hand on his shoulder, and turned him away from the couple.

“He must have something in his eyes,” Cass told them. “After all, alchemy is dangerous work...I’ll go help him real fast.”

She proceeded to push Varian out of the banquet hall quickly. She winced as everyone stared at the two. Now she knows what it feels like to be the center of attention…

Xavier frowned as he watched the two exit the banquet hall. He stroked his beard in thought. “Hmm…”

“What was that all about?” Eugene wondered out loud.

“I...I’m not entirely sure…,” Rapunzel replied. She looked down at Flynn, a frown crossing her face. “But whatever it was…”

“I don’t think it’s anything good...”


	6. Chapter 6

Cass closed the door behind her as she pushed Varian into the room. She quickly turned back around and locked the door. They didn’t want anyone coming in and hearing this. She turned back to the boy as he paced in the center of the room, his hands on his head.

“Ohmygod,ohmygod,ohmygod,” he muttered to himself as he continued to pace.

Cass frowned as she watched him quietly. She didn’t realize that the Changeling could affect him this much.

“Varian-”

“Cass!”

The boy whipped around towards her. “It...It had blue skin! It’s eyes were huge too! Oh and it’s pointy teeth! Cass, it _**smiled** _at me! **_Smiled_** with it’s creepy pointy yellow teeth!” “Varian, calm down,” She told him. She reached up and grabbed his shoulders. “How...How can I calm _down_!? Flynn is gone and was replaced by this...Creepy horrible monster!”

Cass frowned as she listened to him. “Okay first, let’s sit down.”

She grabbed his arm and led him over to her bed. She pushed him down gently before sitting down next to him. “Take deep breaths. Once, you’ve calmed down we can discuss our next steps.”

“Right, right...Breath…”

Varian put his hands on his legs. He took in deep breaths as he tried to calm himself down. Cass gently placed a hand on his back. She made small moving circles on his back as he continued to deep breaths.

“Okay…,” He told her after a few minutes. He looked up at her.

“What’s our next move?”

Cass gave him a reassuring smile before standing up.

“First, we’re going to catch this Changeling and interrogate him.”

“Well...That might be hard to do because of my outburst at the party…,” Varian replied as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“If I can convince Raps to let me babysit him while she does her Queen duties, we will be able to get him alone.”

She stopped and turned back to him. “Do you still have the potion?”

“Yup! Right here!"

“Okay good. I’m going to have to use it tomorrow when we interrogate this thing.”

Varian nodded as he put the potion back into his bag.

“What do you want me to do while you convince Rapunzel?”

“We’ll need something to trap him. There’s no way we can hold him down long enough for us to interrogate him.”

Varian nodded once more as he listened. “I’ll go back to Xavier’s and see if I can find something that can help us.”

“Good idea.”

Varian leaned forward slightly as he watched Cassandra walk over to the window. Cassandra stared up at the full moon, the stars sparkling right beside it. Ever since she took the Moonstone, three years ago she hated the moon. She despised it, and blamed it for her recklessness. But as she traveled, she grew to be fond of the large rock. Like the sun, it was lonely up in the sky. It shone brightly at night with no one beside it. She grew to love the stars as well. They shone just as brightly as the moon and sun. At night, the moon had it’s friends to depend on and shine with. She was the moon, and her friends and family were the stars that shone beside her.

“...Hey you should...Probably get back to the party.”

She snapped out of her thoughts as Varian stood behind him.

“What?”

She turned back to him with a surprised look on her face.

“Well, Rapunzel wouldn’t be happy with you if you missed out on your party. She worked really hard for it you know.”

Cass frowned as she saw Varian rub his arm once more.

“...I can’t just leave you here, Varian. Never again.”

His head snapped up as he listened to her. A bright smile spread across his face but he shook his head.

“Thank you Cass, but I’ll be alright! We have a mission to do after all!”

She smiled at him as he stood in front of her confidently. He was not the young alchemist that leaned on her for help anymore. He could stand on his own now.

“Alright. I’ll trust you.”

She walked to the door and opened it. She was about to leave before turning back to him.

“I’ll bring you back some cake. ...If there’s any left.”

Varian laughed as he thought about Lance or Eugene eating the whole cake.

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Cass shot one last smile before disappearing into the corridor. Varian watched her leave before sighing, dropping his arms. “Alright Varian...Let’s go see Xavier...Again.” He walked towards the door.

_‘Xavier probably knows something is up,’_ He thought as he walked down the long hallways. _‘Since we asked about Changelings, and then my outburst earlier…’_ His frown deepened as he stared at the ground in front of him. _‘I’ll have to convince him not to tell Rapunzel and Eugene. Though that may be hard since he tells everyone every-’_

Varian yelped as he bumped into someone. He fell to the ground with a thump, his bag and its content following out. The flask that contained the Perception potion rolled into the person’s feet.

“Oh my gosh I’m so sorry! I-I was thinking about my next invention when I should have been paying attention!” Varian rambled as he quickly picked up his things. He shoved them into his bag before looking around.

_‘Wait...Where’s the potion!?’_

His head snapped up when he saw the person pick up the flask.

“It is quite alright, Varian.”

Varian sucked in a breath when he recognized the voice. Out of all the people he had to run into, it had to be _him_. He looked up as Nigel held out the flask to him.

“That’s a very interesting potion you have there,” He told the boy.

Varian quickly grabbed it and shoved it into his bag.

“I-It’s a new truth serum I’m testing out,” He lied. “I’m trying to make it to where we can lower the amount of ingredients we use, but still have the same effects.”

“How intriguing,” Nigel replied. “I’m sure the King and Queen would be most grateful.”

“Yeah…”

Varian slipped the bag back onto his shoulder before he started to walk away. Nigel frowned as he watched him leave.

“...There was a story I read once.”

Varian stopped and glanced at the royal advisor over his shoulder.

“It was about a man who was forced to hold the entire world on his shoulders. It was a burden for him to deal alone, and I’m afraid me and the royal family put too much of a burden on your shoulders.”

Varian, now intrigued, turned back to face him.

“What do you mean?”

“We rely on you for Corona’s entire revolutionary technology. It’s all on your shoulders, weighing heavily, and dragging you down. Not only that, but I know you are still trying to prove yourself to the people of Corona that you have changed.” Varian looked away ashamed. Nigel frowned and went into his pocket. “All I’m saying...Is that there are people you can rely on, and you can _always_ turn to them for help.”

Varian glanced up as Nigel fully turned towards him. Nigel held out a gold chained watch to him. “Don’t let the world fall onto your shoulders, Young Atlas.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you all like the chapter! I added in a reference to one my favorite shows I just finished watching. I hope you some of you get it! ^-^ Anyway, thank you all for the support!
> 
> Stay creative lovelies~!


	7. Chapter 7

Varian held the book close to his chest. Xavier’s words still fresh in his mind as he strolled into the kitchen.

_ ‘I can worry about that later...Right now I need to worry about the Changeling.’ _

“Oh Varian!”

He yelped and nearly dropped the book. He whipped around, and shoved the book behind his back.

“Oh! Rapunzel!”

The queen smiled as she closed the oven with her foot. Varian winced as he watched. 

_ ‘How does she do that with her foot…?’ _

  
“I was actually just about to look for you!”

  
“Y-You were?”

“Yes!”

She walked over to the counter, and set the tray cookies down on top of it. She pulled off her oven mitts, and placed them down beside the tray.

  
“After what happened last night I was...Worried. I just wanted to check in on you and…”

She trailed off as she grabbed a large plate. On the plate was another small batch of cookies. She held up the plate smiling.

  
“I was going to bring you cookies!”

Varian smiled at the Queen as he slid off his backpack. “I really appreciate the gesture, your highness, but I am fine.”

He slid the large book into his backpack before slinging back onto his shoulders. He sntached a cookie, and gestured it to her.

“Just like Cass said, I only had something in my eyes! A failed experiment blew up in my face a few hours before, so some of the solution must have gotten into my eyes.”

“What!?”

Rapunzel set the plate of cookies down onto the counter. 

  
“Varian, we talked about this…”

She took a step close to him. He flinched as she held out her arm to him, but he didn’t back away from her. She gently grabbed his shoulder, and squeezed it gently for reassurance. He glanced away from her, lowering his cookie. He needed something, _ anything,  _ to keep him from looking at her. 

“I-I know…,” He muttered as he rubbed his arm nervously once more. “I know that my old lab equipment...and goggles...Are outdated and dangerous...But it didn’t have the right feel to it Rapunzel.”

He risked a glance up at her. He flinched when he saw her expression. It was her sympathetic look. He  **_despised_ ** that look. It reminded him of his younger foolish self all those years ago. 

“Varian, we gave you a new lap and new equipment to make sure you’re  _ safe _ .”

“Thank you Rapunzel...I really appreciate it.”

He took a step away from her. 

  
“...But right now…”

He glanced around the kitchen.

“All I need is…”

Rapunzel blinked as he grabbed a glass jar. 

  
“Is this jar!” 

He held it up to her smiling. Rapunzel’s frown deepened as she watched her Varian. 

“Oh...Alright…”

She rubbed her arm just like Varian had done a few moments before. 

“But if there’s anything, and I mean  _ anything…! _ ”

  
She glanced back at him as he started walking towards the door.

  
“...Promise me you’ll tell me or Eugene.”

Varian smiled at her and waved the cookie in his hand.

“Don’t worry, your Highness! I will!”

**_~*~_ **

“What took you so long?” Cass asked impatiently as Varian walked up to him.

  
“Sorry, Rapunzel caught me in the kitchen. She...Wanted to know if everything’s alright.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she lowered her arms.

“What did you say?”

  
Varian slid off his backpack, and set it down on the floor. He knelt down in front of it, and flipped it open.

  
“I just told her that I got some chemicals in my eyes. Nothing too big.”

He shifted through his bag before pulling out the creature like flask.

“Aha!”

He handed it to Cass before pulling out the book. Cassandra blinked as she saw the book.

  
“...Where did you get that?”

“Xavier gave it to me,” He replied as he held it up to her to gaze at. “He said that since we were so interested in Changelings that he gave me this. He said that this book contains everything we need to know about Changelings! How to catch them, how to spot them,  _ and  _ how to defeat them!”

“Well that will come in handy,” Cassandra replied as Varian flipped through the pages of the book.

“Aha! Here it is! Chapter 7! How to change and contain the Changeling!”

Cassandra walked close to him and peered over his shoulder to read the passage.

  
“I already made all the potions to stop the Changeling when we confront it.”

He shoved the book into Cassandra’s arms before slipping off his jacket. It dropped to the ground as he held out his arms in awe.

“Ta-dah!”

Cass blinked as she stared at the boy.

  
“...It’s your alchemy ball belt.”

“Yes, but now it’s  _ Changeling  _ proof!”

He pulled a dark purple ball off of his utility belt, and held it out to Cass. 

“This will allow the Changeling to shrink and lose its strength. It will give us enough time to capture it and put it-” Varian knelt back down and picked up the glass jar he had grabbed from the kitchen. “Into this jar! Of course, the effects are only temporary so we will have to let it go eventually.”

Cass glanced back down at the book.

“...Did Xavier tell you anything else?”

Varian froze up slightly as she asked the question. He glanced at his hand for a brief moment before giving her a confident smile.

“Nope! That was it! ...Why is there something wrong with the text?”

Cass gave him a weird look, but Varian continued to smile at her. She sighed before closing the book. She slid it into Varian’s bag before grabbing the flask.

  
“Oh wait!”

She glanced at Varian as he slid his backpack back on.

  
“The book mentioned that the potion has a 24 hour time limit! Which means we have to constantly put in the eye drops.”

  
“Well that’s reassuring…”

She tilted her head back before taking the potion. She handed it to Varian before he did the same. He slid the potion back into his backpack before following Cassandra down the hall.

  
“...I wasn’t able to get Raps to let me babysit Flynn for the day,” She told him.

“But I do know that at around this time is when they put 'him' to sleep.”

“I understand.”

Varian blinked as she walked in a different direction from the main royal chamber.

  
“Cass, the royal chamber is this way.”

“Raps told me that they finished the nursery. ‘Flynn’ should be there.”

Cassandra continued to walk down the hall. Varian couldn’t bring himself to move.

“But...That’s impossible. There’s no  _ way _ they could have finished early!” Varian told her. He quickly rushed up to her, trying to keep pace with her. “We just approved of the plans! We’re weeks away from actually finishing! I should know because  _ I’m  _ the head of the project!”

Cass frowned, but she didn’t slow her pace. 

  
“Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that  _ someone _ is targeting Corona.”

Varian glanced for a moment before nodding. The two eventually made it to the nursery. Cass frowned as she peeked around the corner.

“Is everything alright?” Varian asked her.

“Where are Stan and Pete?”

“Huh?”

Varian peered around the corner with her.

“They should be there! There’s no way they would leave the Prince unguarded!”

The two jumped when the door opened. Their eyes widened when they saw the person walking out of the room.    
  


“Hide!” Cass hissed before diving behind the wall. 

Varian stared at the person a little longer. He yelped as Cass pulled him back beside him.    
  


“What is Nigel doing here!?” Varian asked quietly. 

Cass peered around the corner, careful to make sure Nigel couldn’t see her. He glanced around before straightening his outfit. He put his arms around his back, and walked away from the nursery.

“Now’s our chance.”

Varian opened his mouth, but Cass had already rushed away. He frowned as he watched her. He went into his pocket, and pulled out the watch Nigel had given him the night before. His words echoed in his mind.

_ ‘“Don’t let the world fall onto your shoulders, Young Atlas.”’ _

He clutched the watch tightly in his hand as he stared at it. 

_ ‘Could Nigel be the reason why Stan and Pete aren’t guarding ‘Flynn’?’ _

“Varian!”

He snapped out of his thoughts as Cassandra called out to him. He slid the watch back into his pocket before rushing after his companion. However, the sinking feeling in his stomach only grew stronger. His thoughts raced around as he thought about the Royal Advisor. So many things added up. He couldn’t ignore the question anymore as he entered the nursery.

**_‘Could Nigel be behind all this?’_ **


End file.
